Love Blooms In Strange Ways
by Zombordan22
Summary: Driving his car in the way of an estranged boy, Al takes him in as a temporary guest... at least, that's what he planned on doing. Circumstances reveal this "boy" isn't quite that, and in understanding comes a strange but strong love. (Al/Ryuto)
1. An Unscheduled Meeting

**Chapter One: An Unscheduled Meeting**

A growing, quickly approaching light.

A boy unknowingly in the path of danger.

A man who hurt before he helped.

It all happened in the blink of an eye, the fateful event that brought two unlikely lovers together. A sudden crash. The boy struck by the vehicle moving towards him. Him, the driver, the tires, all screeching at once before stopping and turning to action. The man ran out of his car, to the front. He saw the boy with green hair, the boy with his face down on the asphalt, the boy he hit without meaning to.

The boy he would grow to love.

He bit his lip, kneeling down to inspect his body. He didn't appear to be bleeding, that was good, at least. The man carefully managed to pull the boy out from underneath the car and held him in his arms. He saw his chest move in and out in a way similar to his own. He was still alive. Breathing a sigh of relief that seemed to lighten his entire body, he opened one of the back doors of his car, placing the unconscious boy on his side on one of the seats. He went back to the driver's seat, exhaling through pursed lips and blowing a wet strand of hair out of his face and resumed driving back to his home, boy in tow.


	2. A Welcome Burden

**Chapter Two: A Welcome Burden**

It was a while before Ryuto regained consciousness.

When he had, he found himself in an unfamiliar room in an unfamiliar house. It was strange and yet he expected it, he never can keep himself in one place, and he likely wouldn't stay here for long, either. He noticed, however, that he wasn't wearing his usual spring green attire, but a black t shirt that fit very loosely on his childlike body. Ryuto started to hear footsteps coming from the doorway, and saw a giant man approach him. His face was worried, and in one hand he carried a cup of milk, which he gave to the boy as he sat down next to him. They both were silent, Ryuto sipping at the milk idly and Al looking at the floor, hands on his knees as he hunched over gloomily.

"Are you okay?" he managed to ask him, the shakiness in his voice quite apparant. He hadn't ever been in a situation like this before, and though he never thought about it, he never wanted to be.

Ryuto let out a gasp as he finished his milk, "Yeah," he said casually, as if he hadn't been in a near death experience just a few moments ago, "How about you?"

"I-I'm fine, I just..." Al sighed deeply. Ann was right, he does get too shaken up over these things. Regaining his composure with a long inhale, he began to speak. "I don't know who you are, o-or for that matter, I don't know where your parents are! And even if I did, they'd be mad at me for hitting you with my car in the first place, a-"

"I don't **have** parents."

Al froze in shock. He turned to Ryuto, staring into his empty cup bitterly. "I don't think I ever did. At least, I don't remember them if they really exist."

There was a long silence in the room again.

Ryuto handed the cup back to Al, "Here," he said, jumping off the bed and storming out angrily, "I'll be in a trash can somewhere if you need me, which you obviously won't." Al stared at him in surprise before standing and coming after him, quickly gaining on the small boy and picking him up from behind.

"Hey!" Ryuto yelped, thrashing around in his arms, "Let go of me!" he struggled to break free of his captor before he said to him in a low voice:

"You don't really want to be out there alone, do you?"

He stopped fidgeting and looked Al in the eyes. He smiled slightly and said, "I'll keep you here until we can find you some parents, okay?"

Ryuto nodded and Al let him down. "I'll fix you some dinner, you must be starving," he said, and disappeared into the kitchen. Ryuto stood there with wide eyes, staring at him in shock before quietly whispering to himself, "Thank you."


	3. A Simple Game

**Chapter Three: A Simple Game**

The next day was very relaxing, despite the need to introduce Ryuto to nine other people. Al knew, from his own experience, the best way to make anyone of any age feel uncomfortable is to drag them around on a leash and throw them at everyone you see, telling them to introduce themselves to them. So he didn't even bother doing that, and just let action take its course.

"Got anything fun to play with, Al?" he asked, lazily leaning on his side. They'd been sitting in front of the TV for hours, not even absorbing any of the information coming at them on the screen, just blankly staring at it and not thinking.

Al sighed, rubbing his forehead, "I think I have some board games in my closet, would that make you happy?"

Ryuto nodded his head and Al picked him up, slinging him in one arm and standing slowly before making his way to the second floor of his house. He set Ryuto down once they both were in his room, very calm and easy to look at with white walls and a soft maroon carpeting. Ryuto opened the closet, looking over the mass amounts of games in front of him, some he didn't even recognize. He noticed, however, a familiar game he knew he would have enough patience to play.

"Connect Four?" he said, holding the box out to Al.

"Sure, why not?" Al shrugged. Ryuto opened the box and set up the game, giving Al the red pieces and keeping the yellow pieces to himself. They took turns sliding the circles down the thin shafts of the blue board between them.

Ryuto yawned impatiently, "Y'know, a game like this's better with some stakes."

"As long as it's not money, I don't care what you want."

He took a deep breath. Although it didn't show on the outside, Ryuto felt his stomach clench in anticipation. Could he really manage to admit this to him? Or would he even believe it? He ignored that and just said, "Loser has to confess something about himself."

"Alright then." They both continued to play, Ryuto trying to lose in a not so obvious way, so as to not let Al notice he was throwing the match. Once four red pieces connected, Al looked at Ryuto patiently.

He leaned back, straightening his spine and shaking his head to ease the tension brewing inside him. Looking at his feet in front of him, he said, "How old do you think I am?"

"...five?" Al said in confusion. What kind of question was that?

Ryuto let out a single breath of air in an attempt to laugh. He gripped the fibers of the carpeting beneath him and said, "Five? Try pushing thirty."


	4. A Cry For Help

**Chapter Four: A Cry For Help**

The room was silent once he'd said that. Al's mouth opened, however slightly, in shock. "You're..." his voice trailed off as he stared down at the... boy? No. He wasn't a boy. He hadn't been for a while, at least. "You're older than me?"

"I'm older than a lotta people."

Al shook his head, "How's that even possible? You're not even... you don't look anything like you're thirty!"

Ryuto stood up, crossing his arms, "You think I didn't know that already?" he bitterly lamented, just barely quiet enough to not count as a shout, "You think I haven't been living _all of those years _wondering why or how I don't grow up like you do- like everybody but me_ does?!" _He jumped and swung his arms with his words, leaning closer to Al in his rant. His face was red with anger, and his entire chest convulsed with each breath.

"I..."

"Why did you think I wanted to leave? Why do you think I don't have parents? Why do you think I was out alone in the rain? I'm a _freak!"_ Ryuto kicked the board down, letting the game hit the floor and the pieces scatter on the ground. He lowly hung his head and turned away from Al, breathing hoarse, shivering breaths, before whispering with a cracking and unsure voice, "Go ahead... leave me behind like everyone else does. I don't want to waste your time."

A depressing silence fell over them again. Al stood up and Ryuto prepared himself to be sent away, yet again. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, holding his breath and bracing himself for the derision he would face as Al knelt down in front of him. "Ryuto," he said firmly, and put a finger to the ageless man's chin, forcing it up so he could look him in the eye.

While he still counted on an attack, Al leaned forward and embraced him tightly, almost clinging to him, his head hanging over Ryuto's shoulder. His eyes widened in shock and he began to struggle against his grasp, trying to escape from it. It had to have been a trap, or something to lull him into a false sense of security. He kicked and groaned and pushed against the bigger man but he was still being held. Ryuto collapsed in his grasp defeatedly and sighed, closing his eyes.

"You have to accept it."

"Accept _what?"_ Ryuto yelled in anger, about to start another fit, "That I'm some mistake of nature and I can't do jack to change it?"

Al put his hands on his shoulders, "You have to accept that I care about you, I really do, Ryuto... I know you're angry because you're an adult but everyone just looks at you and sees-" he stopped mid sentence, being choked back by his emotions, "A child... I-I can't fix you. I can't take back the years of your life you'll never live like everyone else got to, but I can at least care about you and want to help!"

Ryuto felt a sharp pain pierce him through the chest. He could hardly believe it. Someone honestly cared about him now.

Someone wanted to help.

"I... thank you," he managed to say, trying to gather his thoughts in this confusion, "I guess I'll be staying here, then?"

"If you want."

"Then I will."


End file.
